Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Angelina Jolie gets criticized by Thailand

As a part of her work as a United Nations ambassador, Angelina Jolie recently visited a Rohingyas refuge camp.

Recently a group of Rohingyas refugees were beaten and stranded at sea by Thai military. The minority group flees Myanmar looking for better treatment elsewhere. We detailed this incident further in this prior post.

In speaking to reporters from the refuge camp at the Myanmar Thailand border. Jolie pleaded to the Thai government to accept the Rohingyas into the country. From India E-News we read some of Jolie's comments and the reaction from the Thai government.

Jolie asked the Thai government to be 'just as generous to the Rohingya refugees who are now arriving on their shores'.

The Thai army has been accused of detaining and torturing hundreds of Rohingyas who in recent months have fled to Thailand to escape poverty in Myanmar, the website said.

Officials in Thailand have chastised Jolie for her comments, insisting that the UN refugee agency should not have allowed the star to visit the centre.

Said Virasakdi Futrakul, permanent secretary of the Thai foreign ministry: 'Angelina was not focused on the Rohingya, but was visiting Myanmar refugee camps. It was a coincidence that the Rohingya was a hot news issue at the time, therefore we must warn UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) that they should not comment on this issue because they have no mandate on this issue.

'The Thai government will issue a reprimand letter to UNHCR asking why it allowed Angelina Jolie to visit the refugee camps,' he added.